When does it change?
by BelikovLover
Summary: Rose grew up in Russia, but the Guardian academies only accept men. She left for America when she was a teenager to follow her dreams, but she left her best friend, Dimitri Belikov, behind. Though she made wonderful, sometimes annoying friends in America, she decided to visit Russia for an entire summer with her friends. Will she see the Belikov's again?
1. Chapter 1

Rose P.O.V.

When the sound of my alarm clock penetrated my ears and pulled me out of a peaceful slumber, my first instinct was to throw it off the nightstand and go back to sleep. Until I remembered today's date.

I sat up with a smile and turned around, looking at the calendar on the wall above my bed. I grabbed a pen and marked an "x" on the box containing the date, marring the heart that had represented the journey I was to take today.

Rolling off my bed in good spirits, I ran to the shower wasting no time getting ready. I couldn't afford be late today. After taking what I considered one of the quickest showers of my life, I dressed in a comfortable outfit for the flight not caring what anyone else thought of my clothing. I wore my favorite pair of gray sweatpants with a red tank top and a pair of sandals. In a hurry, I brushed my teeth, after putting on my makeup and throwing anything that I may have forgotten back in to suitcase.

I ran to Lissa's room after locking my door, not bothering to knock. The sound of the sink running in the bathroom let me know she was still brushing her teeth. I set my suitcase down next to the door when she had her's.

"Liss, c'mon! The plane leaves in an hour and it takes half that time to get there." I shouted to be sure she heard me over the running water. "This is the first time I've ever _not_ been late for something and I'm not going to let you ruin it!"

I heard her turn the water off and out of the bathroom. She wore a stunning green blouse that made her eyes look beautiful and a pair of jeans that made me envious of her slim figure with a pair of ballet flats. Her hair was perfect and next to her, there was no way a guy would even give me a second glance. It didn't matter that we were going to be on a flight that was twelve hours long, she always had to be dressed as if she came from a photo shoot.

"Don't be dramatic, Rose. We'll be there on time." She said rolling her eyes. After giving me a once-over, she raised her eyebrow.

"You know, not everybody dresses to impress, Liss. _Some_ people just want to be comfortable when they are on a plane for half a day." I told her.

She blushed and looked down at her outfit. "Is it too much?" She asked seriously. "I can change it if-"

"No!" I cut her off. "It's fine! Let's just go gather Sparky and leave, okay?"

She laughed lightly,"You must _really_ be excited. Okay, Let's go get Christian."

"No need." Christian declared, strolling through the door without knocking, just as I had done earlier. "Ready to go?"

"_Finally."_ I said walking out of the building towards Lissa's car. I threw my suitcase into the trunk next to Lissa's leaving the trunk open for Sparky to do the same, before climbing into the back seat with my carry-on. I waited in the car for a few moments before being joined by Christian and Lissa.

"Ready for Russia?" Lissa asked no one in particular.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry, readers. I didn't really explain much of the story in the last chapter. Please forgive me? :( **

** Anyways, to answer any questions you may have, Lissa is not the last Dragomir. Her family is alive, so the accident never happened and Lissa and Rose do not have the bond. I would've added it in there, but there was no way they would've let two moroi and a novice out of the school for an entire summer in Russia without more experienced Guardians (even with badass Rose) and I just wanted the story to mainly be about Rose and Dimitri, without all the logistics. They have all graduated already. **

** Christian and Lissa are together, but Rose and Dimitri never saw eachother like that, until now, hopefully. ;) Will they fall in love? This is a Dimitri and Rose pairing. Please don't leave reviews about Tasha and Dimitri or Adrian and Rose. I will not write those types of stories. **

** Rose is a badass and has killed strigoi before. She has done it protecting Lissa on previous vacations. She has 7 Molnija marks though she **

** I also realized I forgot the disclaimer in the last chapter. I apologize to Richelle Mead for that one. She owns all the characters in this story. I own nothing but the plot.**

** Thanks for reading. :)**

Rose P.O.V.

During the flight, when I wasn't trading insults with Christian, I was sleeping. It seemed like it took forever, but eventually the flight was over and we were on our way out of the airport. Lissa had already arranged for a car to pick us up and take us to her family's vacation house just thirty minutes away from Baia.

I thought the driver had made a mistake when he stopped to let us out by nothing but forest, but I saw a white mailbox peeking out from the line of trees with the Dragomir name printed on the side of it. I could make out a thin path between the trees and idly wondered how the Lissa's family had found this house in the first place. Lissa, Christian, and I grabbed our belongings and walked through the thick line of trees following the path that I hoped brought us to the house we would be staying in.

After eight minutes of seeing nothing but trees, I cracked.

"Lissa, where the hell are we going?" I asked impatiently.

Her eyes must have seen something mine didn't because she ignored my question and just kept walking toward her desination. Eventually, I noticed a thinning of the trees, until they gave way completely, revealing a beautiful meadow with a large, open house in the middle of it.

"Wow, Liss. It's beautiful." I gaped.

Christian snorted. "Shouldn't you be used to this by now? You've been going on vacation with Lissa every year for six years."

I glared at him. "Yes, but I haven't been _here._ In fact, I haven't been to Russia at all since I left for America."

Whatever snarky reply Christian was about to give was interrupted by Mason, Eddie, and Mia greeting us from the porch of the house. They had arrived yesterday; we would have too if the plane hadn't run out of seats.

After greeting everyone, we walked inside and I brought my suitcase and my carry-on to the room marked "Rose." The house had eleven rooms and six bathrooms though it was only one story. Lissa had arranged for the caretakers of the house to label each door with our names on it. Each had their own room, though Lissa and Christian had decided to both stay in the Master bedroom.

It was noon in Russia and nobody wanted to waste our first day of the Summer in Russia stuck inside of a house, no matter how enormous or beautiful. We decided to spend the day taking in the sights. I wanted nothing more than to walk around, look at the familiar sights, eat some ice cream, and maybe see a familiar face or two.

We left with one of the cars that were kept at the house already. I don't think anybody really had a clue on where we were going, or where we _were_ for that matter. It had been too long since I was in Russia for me to remember.

After a few hours of aimlessly walking around in the city, I stopped paying attention to the sights and instead, started studying the people. I was just itching to see someone I remembered from my childhood. I think I may have been studying people with an odd expression, trying to find faces that I would remember from my early teens. After a few odd looks from pedestrians my way, I realized my mistake.

I looked back to the group and tuned in to what Lissa was saying. "-and according to the guide, the building was built as a church in the-"

As quickly as I tuned into the historical lesson, I tuned back out as I saw _him. _

"No way." I said aloud. The group stared at me quizzically. I ignored them.

He turned around partially, but enough so that I was able to see the side of his face. I studied his height, his build, his features. There was no way I could mistake him for anybody else. I knew him too well. This was the boy the befriended me as a child. The boy who played with me and welcomed me to his family when I hardly had one. From what I could see, he wasn't a boy anymore. He was a man. A very good-looking man at that.

My lips curved into a smile. "Dimka!" I shouted running away from the group, who in turn tried to follow my lead. Everybody was bored out of their minds with Lissa's history lessons and was itching for something interesting to happen.

Any thoughts I had that didn't have to do with Dimitri Belikov, dissipated as I ran into his unsuspecting arms. He was taken aback. **(A/N The following conversation is in Russian but Google Translate is an unreliable source, so you just have to pretend, okay? (:)**

"Roza?" He asked bewildered.

"It's me, Dimka." I looked up so he could see it was truely me. I had to crane my neck because he was so tall.

"Roza..." He breathed. He smiled and hugged me back lifting me off the ground and setting me back down again. "What are you doing here? When did you get back? How long are you staying?"

I chuckled. "Calm down, Dimitri. I'm here for the summer, I just got here today. I'm actually with some friends...from America." I looked back at the group staring at the encounter with curious eyes. I had forgotten they didn't speak Russian.

**(A/N Back to English! (:)**

"Guys this is my childhood friend, Dimitri Belikov. Dimitri, this is Lissa, her boyfriend, Fire-crotch,-"

"It's christian." Christian corrected.

I ignored him. "-Mason, Mia, and Eddie."

Dimitri smiled,"Nice to meet you all." Despite his cool demeanor, I could tell he was uncomfortable. "Sorry, Roza, I have to go, Babushka is waiting at the market with Viktoria, I have to go meet back up with them."

"Oh no you don't. All these years and that's all I get? Besides, do you really think I'm going to walk off without seeing Babushka and Vika? They'd kill me." He laughed.

"Then come on." And just like that, we sttled back into our old roles.

I turned back to the group, "Do you guys mind going without me? I'll be back later. I just want to catch up with Dimitri and the rest of the Belikov's." I looked at them not wanting to abandon them but at the same time wanting to see the people who practically raised me since my mother was almost never there.

Lissa spoke. "Of course, have fun, Rose."

"Yeah, Rose, _have fun."_ Mia winked. She didn't know that it wasn't like that with me and Dimitri. We were just friends. Always have been and always will be.

I rolled my eyes. "Bye, guys." I walked towards the market with Dimitri.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you guys for your reviews. :) I didn't expect them to come so quickly. I'm also up to some constructive criticism, just don't be mean about it. I'm only thirteen. Thanks anyways. I do not own any of these characters. Richelle Mead, author of Vampire Academy does.**

Rose P.O.V.

I hadn't realized the group and I had ventured into Baia on our sight-seeing trip until Dimitri led me to a familiar market after only a few minutes of walking. It was where Yeva and Vika were. Or so he'd thought. When we had arrived at the market, Yeva and Viktoria were nowhere in sight. Confused, Dimitri had called Viktoria's cell phone. She, in return, had told him that he was taking too long so they had left. Upon mentioning he was with me, Viktoria told Dimitri that if he didn't bring me back to the house to say hello to her and the rest of the family, she would cause him bodily harm. Dimitri rolled his eyes and told her we'd be there, but it'd take a while because we had to walk. She probably regretted taking the car at that moment, whereas I was happy that I had time alone with him.

While we were walking, he asked me about America and school and how I was doing. Even though we hadn't seen each other in years, I still felt..._connected_ to him. Like I could tell him everything, and he would understand. Like he would never judge me. So I did.

I told him about how different it was in America and how long it took me to adjust. I told him about Lissa and her family, who were now my family, though they could never replace the Belikov's. I told him about Mason, who had an open crush on me, about one of my best friends, Eddie, about Lissa's annoying boyfriend, Christian, whom I've had a love/hate relationship with since the beginning, and about Mia, who was my enemy-turned-friend. I told him how much I had missed him. More so than I had told him when we exchanged E-mails, phone-calls, or text messages. Finally, I told him about school, about how I had chased my dream and made it become reality. I told him about how hard it was but how far I've come.

"Yeah, I bet I could kick even _your_ ass." I informed him with a grin.

"I guess we'll have to test that out then, huh?" He said, letting me know that he has accepted the challenge. I knew he'd live up to it. He always does. I also knew he wasn't going to go easy on me, but I wasn't scared. I was trained by some of the best guardians in the moroi world.

"Definitely. But I wouldn't want your male pride to be to damaged when-ooh! Ice cream!" I looked back at an amused Dimitri before walking up to the ice icream stand and ordering a chocolate ice icream cone with _tons_ of sprinkles on it. Dimitri ordered a vanilla ice cream just like when we were kids. I smiled at the thought. We really haven't changed much.

When I reached into my pocket to pull out the money, Dimitri stopped me. "I got it."

"No, it's o-"

"Rose." He said cutting me off. I had forgotten how Dimitri was. Always taking care of others.

I didn't argue. I knew my objections would only fall on deaf ears. "Fine." I said licking my delicious ice cream. The only thing I loved more than chocolate ice cream was chocolate glazed donuts.

In the heat of the summer, I was glad I had chosen a light, comfortable outfit. The ice cream helped too.

I looked at what Dimitri was wearing for the first time. Jeans, a nicely fitting shirt, and a long coat. A duster, I realized. On anybody else, it would look ridiculous, but he looked good in it. Almost like it completed his image. Of course I would never tell _him_ that.

"What?" Dimitri asked.

I licked my ice cream as it melted in the heat. "How the hell do you where that thing? It's so hot outside."

Instead of answering me, he gave me a playful nudge. Or well, it was meant to be playful. I think. He put a little too much force into it, causing me to stumble. I caught myself before falling but in an effort to save my ice cream, I jerked it upward. Right into my face.

Dimitri looked at me, taking in the moment. Then he started to laugh. Irritated, I told him it wasn't funny. That only made him laugh harder.

My irritation grew as he continued to laugh at me. Eventually, I took what was left of my ice cream and shoved it into _his_ face. Now it was _my_ turn to laugh. My entire body shook at the sight of Dimitri with ice cream dripping down his face. He looked at me, a mischevious grin made its way to his face.

I gasped. "No."

"Oh, yes. Come here, Roza!" He cried as I ran away.

When I saw the park Dimitri and I had spent almost every minute of our free time in as children, I stopped and looked back over my shoulder. He was only a few feet behind me. I turned and ran into the park, Dimitri hot on my heels. I ran into the trees behind the park and stopped, hiding behind a large tree. I couldn't hear Dimitri anymore, so I knew he was close. He was trying to be quiet so I couldn't defend myself against his oncoming attack.

Thank God he didn't know where I was. I was safe. Only the smashing of his ice cream in my hair from behind the tree let me know I had been wrong about being safe. I glared at his retreating form and took my remaining ice cream and threw it at the back of his head. I hit my mark.

Dimitri felt the back of his head, smashing the cone into his hair even more. He looked at me and I looked at him. We both bursted out laughing and continued walking to his house all the while. Since the park was only a couple of minutes from the house, we were still laughing and making fun of eachother when we walked up to the house.

Before either of us could knock on the door, we were greeted by Viktoria. "Roza!" She cried reaching for a hug. Upon noticing the sticky ice cream on my face, hair, and hands, she pulled back with a grimace. "On second thought, I'm going to wait until you take a shower."

I looked at Dimitri. "I call the shower!" I ran to the only bathroom with a shower and locked the door behind me before he could register what happened.

Through the door, I heard him groan. "Oh, come on! Rose! You'd better hurry up!" He said banging on the door. I only laughed in reply.

It was good to be back.


	4. Chapter 4

** Hey, guys. I didn't think I'd write this much today but I don't know. I think all of your views and reviews have given me inspiration. Thank you. :)**

**I do not own any of the characters. Richelle Mead does. Though, I do wish I owned Dimitri... Wouldn't that be amazing?**

Rose P.O.V.

When I walked out of the bathroom, I was bombarded with hugs and crying women, I couldn't tell who was who! Only when things calmed a little bit could I actually understand what everyone was saying.

**(A/N Everything that takes place in Dimitri's house is in Russian.)**

"Oh my goodness, Roza. I missed you so much, we all did." Olena told me, giving me another long hug. I patted her back softly. It was then that I'd realized how much I'd really missed her. She had always acted as my mom. "Especially Dimitri! He was so upset! It seemed like an eternity before he started acting like himself again."

I hadn't known Dimitri affected by my leaving so much. Of course I had been the same way. Losing someone you grew up with so suddenly was never easy. Still, it saddened me that I had caused him pain.

"I'm sorry, Olena. I've missed you all too. Dimitri included, of course." I looked around for him but he wasn't there. _He's taking a shower_, I thought to myself.

"You're hogging Roza, Momma." Vika complained while latching herself on to me.

I chuckled. "I've missed you too, Vika."

Karolina made her way over to me. "Roza, I've missed you." She smiled.

Sonya gave me a small hug as well. It was all she could manage. I looked down at her stomach. "Who's this?"

Sonya laughed. "Her name is Zoya. She's due in two months. Will you be here still?"

All the Belikov's looked to me for my answer. "Yeah, I'm staying for the entire Summer with some friends."

It was Olena who answered. "That's great Roza. You and all of your friends are welcome here anytime."

"I might just take you up on that offer. I don't know how I've lasted this long without your amazing cooking skills." I joked.

"Oh! That reminds me! Dinner's ready!" She hurried to the kitchen to set the table.

"Oh, hey, Paul." I called to the boy in the back of the room. "Look how big you've gotten. What are you? Five, now?" I teased.

"No! I'm eight." He told me.

"Whatever." I grinned. "Come give me a hug."

He ran into my arms and gave me a kiss on the cheek before dashing into the dining room. I laughed.

I looked around the room and frowned. "Where's Babushka?" I asked no one in particular.

"In her room. Go say hello." I didn't know who answered me but I followed their suggestion.

Opening the door to the room I knew she was in, I found her reading in a rocking chair.

"Don't you knock? Has moving to America made you lose your manners?" Yeva scowled at me.

"Oh, come on. You know I never had any manners." I rolled my eyes.

"It's good to have you back." She told me as I bent to hug her. "It will change, you know. The way you feel. For the both of you."

I have been around Yeva long enough to know that when she says something cryptic, you don't doubt her. She knows things. And you probably shouldn't ignore what she says. But I didn't know what she was talking about...or who, so I just took her message and put it to the back of my mind.

"I'll see you around, Babushka." She smiled and I ducked out of her room.

By the time I sat down at the table, Dimitri had walked out of the shower. He had on a pair of sweatpants. That was it. No shirt or duster. I had to admit, it wasn't a bad sight. Over the years he had gained some serious muscle. His chocolate brown hair was wet and some of it clung to the sides of his face.

He noticed me staring. "See something you like?" He smirked.

Unable to think of a snarky remark, I rolled my eyes. He sat down in the seat next to me and we all shared comfortable small talk while we ate. When I was finished I put my plate in the sink and looked at the window directly above it.

"Shit." I cursed. It was dark outside. Way dark. I was supposed to be at the house hours ago. There was no way I'd be able to walk all the way there at this hour.

"It's too late to go back now, dear." Olena told me. "You can stay here for the night."

"No that's okay I could just-"

"Nonsense!" She exclaimed. "You used to stay here all the time when you were younger. It's no different now."

I smiled. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Good. The only thing is, you can't sleep on the couch tonight, we're going to have company tomorrow and I can't have you sleeping there all day. You can stay in with Dimitri."

I looked over at Dimitri and he shrugged. "As long as you stay on your side of the bed, I don't really care." I rolled my eyes and walked upstairs into Dimitri's room.

As I lay in the familiar room, I couldn't help but think about how much I've missed this. Olena, Paul, Karo, Vika, Sonya, and especially Dimitri. Yeva's words came back to me. _It will change you know. How you feel._ I still don't know what she meant by that. How I feel about what? Or who?

When the door opened and Dimitri walked in, I was felt the need to pretend I was already asleep. Dimitri chuckled and I wondered if I had been found out. He pulled the blankets over my shoulders and kissed my forehead. Just as he'd done when we were younger. Only this time, there was something there that wasn't there when we were kids. There was a spark. A tingle from where his lips touched my skin. I quickly dismissed this as a result of being jetlagged. I felt the bed dip from his weight and I let his presence comsume me until unconsciousness took hold of me.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, readers. I just wanted to say thank you. For reading and reviewing. Please, keep those reviews coming. :) **

**I do not own any of these characters. Richelle Mead does.**

Dimitri P.O.V. **(A/N I know some of you have probably been waiting for this.)**

Ever since Roza came back to Russia, I couldn't help but feel happy. I had gotten my best friend back. And yet, I was sad because I knew I would lose her again when she went back to America. I don't know if I'd be able to handle that. _Of course you would_, I told myself. _Just remember all of the good things about her. Remember why you love her and why you became friends in the first place. Remember and never forget._

I tried to remember all the good things about her. Her determination, her stubbornness, her protectiveness, her purity, hey beauty, her hair, her smile-

I hadn't realized that I'd been smiling while I was washing tonight's dishes until Yeva broke the silence. I hadn't seen her come out of her room. Or heard her. Careless for a guardian. "If you let it go this time, Dimka, then you are a bigger idiot than I ever thought you were."

I knew what she was referring to. A few years ago I had also been caught up with thinking about something while I was doing the dishes. I went to put it away and I dropped it by accident, the glass shattering on the floor. I had been scolded by both Babushka and Mama.

"I got it, Babushka. Thanks." I told her slightly sarcastic.

She mumbled something about me being "dense" and walked away.

When I finished with the dishes, I walked upstairs to the room Roza was currently sleeping in. My room. The thought made me shiver, though I didn't know why. She had slept in my room hundreds of times.

Opening the door, I chuckled at my idiocy. I looked over to my bed and saw Rose's sleeping form. The blankets were only up to her waist, so I pulled them up to her shoulders, the way she used to like it as a kid. I kissed her forehead, ignoring the tingling sensation I received from doing so. I got in the bed slowly so as to not jostle Rose. Breathing in the scent that always came with Rose, I allowed it to put me to sleep.

** Short chapter I know, guys. But I wanted to get some Dimitri in there. Anybody have any ideas for the next chapter? Rose is going to have to go back to Lissa's family's house. Should Dimitri go with her? Maybe everyone can have a game night? I want to find a way to integrate Dimitri in with the group. Thanks. Keep reviewing please. :)**

**Do any of you guys actually believe that's what Yeva was talking about? What else could she have been talking about? ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

** I think I may have underestimated the difficulties of writing about two people falling in love. Especially when I myself have never even had anything close to a boyfriend. If you have any suggestions for the story please feel free to leave a review or PM me if you want. Thanks. Also, if you want me to put some more of Dimitri P.O.V. in there, all you have to do is ask. ;)**

** Richelle Mead owns all the characters in this story.**

Rose P.O.V.

Instead of waking up to my annoying alarm clock, I awoke this morning to the slight snoring of my best friend, Dimitri Belikov. He looked so incredibly peaceful when he was sleeping. His hair was splayed across his face and his mouth formed a perfect "o." I smiled to myself, wanting to tuck his hair behind his ear.

I reached my hand over to do so. Just as my hand reached his cheek, he opened his eyes and met my gaze. We looked at each other for several moments not speaking, my hand still on his cheek. I realized in that moment just how close we really were. Our faces were so close that if both of us were to lean in just a couple inches each, our foreheads would touch. My lips parted slightly under his gaze. He continued to watch me and I, him. Ruining the moment, my stomach growled, barely audible even in the silence of the room. It snapped us both out of the trance we both seemed to be in. I pulled my hand back and blushed. Dimitri laughed.

"Always hungry, Roza." He shook his head and stood up, changing his shirt.

I couldn't think of anything to say so I ignored him. After stretching, I left the room, following the scent of Blini. My favorite Russian dish. I walked down the stairs and greeted everyone at the table before making myself a plate.

"Did you have a nice night?" Vika asked suggestively.

I frowned not understanding what she was getting at. "Fine." I replied because, really, it was. She rolled her eyes at my response and continued to eat.

"It's about time." I told Dimitri as he walked into the dining room. "I was beginning to think you went back to sleep."

"Yeah well, I would be sleeping if _someone_ hadn't woken me up" He told me.

I blushed and looked down at my food, ignoring the questioning looks I got from each of the Belikovs. The rest of breakfast passed without a word from me or Dimitri.

"Auntie Roza? Will you play Guardian with me?" Paul looked up at me hopefully. I bit my lip and looked at Dimitri.

"Only if Uncle Dimka agrees to play too."

"Please, Uncle Dimka? Please, Please, Pleas-" He was cut off

"Yes, Rose and I will play with you. It has to be in the backyard though, your mom wouldn't like it if we took you to the park without her." Dimitri told him.

Paul smiled and ran into the backyard. I looked at Dimitri and he looked at me. "Ready to play Guardian, Dimka?" I teased.

"You know it, Roza, In fact, I think I remember you telling me something about "kicking my ass?"" I swallowed as his large figure disappeared into the backyard waiting for me.

Dimitri and I had both declared ourselves "Guardians," while Paul was to play "Strigoi." We had chased him around the yard laughing and yelling until we caught him. Finally. That little bastard was _fast_.

I tackled Paul and pinned him to the ground. Dimitri sat next to me tickling Paul until he screamed. I looked at Dimitri while he tormented Paul. He wasn't bad-looking, in fact, he was hot. Even as his life-long friend, I had to admit this was true. But he was never more beautiful than when he was laughing and playing.

When Paul started yelling that he had to "pee really, really, really badly," we had let him go. Dimitri noticed my staring and looked at me quizzically. I shrugged it off.

"What? I'm just wondering when it'll be _your_ turn to have your ass kicked." I told him.

"That just depends on your ability to kick it." He replied crouching down into the signature guardian defensive position. I mirrored his.

I watched him, studying his moves as I knew he was studying mine. I had never fought Dimitri before, but you don't get that much muscle from eating potato chips and watching western movies. He made the first move.

He lunged for me, his fist aiming for my chest. I dodged his attack easily, returning it with one of my own. I roundhouse kicked his chest whilst he tried to block my fist from making contact with his face. He stumbled backward slightly, just enough to shock him, but it was enough for me. I ducked down to the floor, using his added height against him, and spun, knocking his feet from underneath him. He fell backward and, before he could right himself, I jumped onto him, one leg on each side of his torso.

"Well, it looks like I got you, Comrade." I teased, using the nickname I had assigned to him after I learned about the U.S.S.R. in America. He didn't respond, in fact, he must have discovered that I didn't quite have him in the position that I had intended, because he rolled us over, positioning himself on top of me. His hands were on either side of my face, trapping me between the ground and himself. I couldn't ignore how close we were. His entire body was pressed up against mine and it took great effort not to shiver. His face was only a few inches from mine. Oh so close. My lips parted as I looked at him, waiting. He leaned in. My breathing hitched and my heart sped.

"Dead." He whispered.


	7. Chapter 7

**Guest: Thanks for your review. I'm going to try to incorporate some kissing and a little jealously into the Game Night. I'm not quite sure who exactly will be kissing. It's not going to be Rose and Dimitri though, I don't think. I don't want things to move too quickly. You never know though. ;)**

**Please enjoy the next installment of ****When does it change?**

**I do not own any of these characters. Richelle Mead does for she is the all-mighty writer of the epic series, Vampire Academy. ;)**

Rose P.O.V.

The incident in the back yard startled me. I had been sure Dimitri was going to kiss me. I had_ wanted_ it, even. What was that about?

The sound of my phone ringing pulled me out of my reverie. It was Lissa.

"Oh Shit!" I exclaimed. Dimitri looked over at me from where he was sitting next to me on the couch. "It's Liss, I completely forgot about game night!" The group had planned a game night for the first night we were in Russia just like when we were in the earlier years at the academy. They had rescheduled it for tonight when I had went off with Dimitri.

"Err..hi, Liss." I said unsure of myself.

"Where the hell are you, Rose? We waited for you to come back yesterday and you didn't! You ignored my calls all day! We didn't know if something had happened to you!" Liss yelled.

It was a good thing the Belikov's had left earlier after Paul had used the bathroom. Vika had gone out with friends and Olena, Sonya, and Yeva had gone grocery shopping for things they had forgotten yesterday. Paul had gone with them of course. Sonya, being pregnant, hadn't wanted to go anywhere so she was sleeping in her room upstairs. If they had been here, they would have heard Lissa yelling from all the way across the house.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I kind of got caught up with Dimitri and it was too late to go back, so I just spent the night here." I heard some giggles on the other end. "Hey! Am I on speaker phone?"

"Maybe." Someone answered. I couldn't make out who it was over the phone, but I knew it wasn't Lissa.

"Look, guys, I'm just gonna hang out here for a while longer until it's time for Game Night, okay?"

"Ooh! Bring Dimitri with you! I think we all want to get to know him a little better." Mason said mischievously. Under the surface, I knew he wasn't excited. He just wanted the chance to humiliate Dimitri in front of everybody. Little does he know, Dimka was trained by the best.

I looked to Dimitri, an unasked question in the air. He ran his hand threw his hair and nodded unsure of himself.

"Okay," I told them. "Can you have Lissa pick us up? Olena took the car when she went out earlier. We don't know when she'll be back."

"Okay, will do. Just don't fall asleep. I don't want to be waiting outside forever." She warned.

Dimitri and I chuckled, knowing it was a possibility. I looked over at him, having a silent conversation with our eyes.

"I'll tell you what, Liss. When you get here, just walk in. No knocking necessary."

After she told me she would, I gave her the adress. We said our goodbyes and hung up.

"So, Comrade, what do you want to do until Lissa arrives?" I asked, completely out of ideas.

After much debate over what to do, Dimitri and I had settled for watching a movie. A horror movie, of course. I sat on the couch tired from running around in the backyard all morning. I closed my eyes and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.

When I had woken up, my head lay on Dimitri's shoulder and his arm was wound around my waist. I had tried to pull myself from his embrace, albeit reluctantly. In his sleep he pulled me closer and I laughed. I clenched my fist and hit him in the chest. Hard.

"Ow!" He yelled, letting go of me. My entire body shook as I laughed. Once he had registered what happened, he frowned.

"You hit me." I almost felt sorry for him until I realized he was only feigning hurt. A playful smile creeped onto his face and before I knew it I was laying with my back against the couch, Dimitri above me. I was trapped. Again.

I busted out laughing. "Dimitri! Dimitri stop it! Dimka!" I screamed. I couldn't help it, he started tickling me and knew exactly where I was most ticklish. He was laughing too, though I could barely hear it over my own laughs.

"Are you going to apologize?" He asked. I shook my head no, and the tickling started all over again. "Come on, Roza! Say it! Say you're sorry!"

"Okay, okay!" I gasped. He stopped tickling me, but he was still hovering over me. His face so close to mine. His _lips_ so close to mine. I could feel his hot breath mingling with mine.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, my smile fading from my face as an emotion different from friendship settled in. He leaned in much like this morning, but this time I knew he was going to kiss me. I leaned in, too, my eyes closing as I waited for him to close the distance.

It was in that moment that Lissa barged into the house.

**(A/N Doesn't that suck? I really wanted them to kiss too. I guess we'll both have to wait. ;) Oh! And by the way, this is all in English. Nobody in the group speaks Russian.)**

"Come on, Rose, it's time for-Oh." She said. "Oh!" She blushed and looked away. "I'm...just going to wait outside." She spoke without looking at either of us.

I let her wait outside, because I didn't know what to say. I knew what she saw. Dimitri hovering over me on the couch in a house all alone, both of us leaning in for a kiss. I didn't know what to think of it myself, let alone how to explain it. What am I supposed to say? _Sorry you had to see that, Liss? I was just in the middle of trying to kiss my best friend because I've been developing a crush on him in the last two days?_

I sighed as Dimitri rolled off the couch, neither of us speaking of what had just nearly occurred.

"Rose, you know we're going to have to-" Dimitri started.

"I know." I cut him off. "Not right now." I took a deep breath and looked over to him. "Ready to meet my friends?"

**Okay, so now for Game Night. Anyone else excited? :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**Now, for the much awaited Game Night. :)**

**Lovingbites: Yes, I definitely wanted them to kiss and I know all of you did, but doesn't that make when they actually do kiss that much more exciting? Besides, I wanted Rose to tell him how she felt first. :)**

**Richelle Mead owns all these characters.**

Dimitri P.O.V.

I hovered above Rose on the couch. Her eyes widened and her lips parted as she waited for me to kiss her. Her dark brown hair framing her face, she looked more beautiful now than ever. I wanted so badly to hold her in my arms and kiss her in that moment. I leant down and she closed her eyes slowly.

Just then, Rose's friend, Lissa, I remembered, barged through the front door.

"Come on, Rose, it's time for-Oh." She said. "Oh!" She blushed and looked away from me and Rose. "I'm...just going to wait outside." Without looking at us a second time, she walked out of the house, closing the door behind her.

I didn't know what to do. Or say. To either Rose or Lissa. Ever since Rose came back to Russia, it was like she never left in the first place. She was still my best friend...though my views have changed a little bit since then. I now find myself wanting to make her smile just for the fun of it or wanting to hold her in my arms and never let go, but there was no way I could tell her that.

_It's just a crush,_ I told myself. _Nothing more._ Yes, it was a crush. I'd get over it soon. But for now, I'd have to talk about this with Rose. If that meant I'd have to tell her about my feelings, so be it. It's not like I'm in love with her. And I know for a fact she's not in love with me. She's probably involved that red-headed kid, Mason. Just the thought made jealousy welled up inside of me.

I sighed and rolled off the couch in my frustration. All I knew was that we had to talk about this.

"Rose, you know we're going to have to-" Dimitri started.

"I know." Rose interrupted me. "Not right now." I heard her inhale sharply. She looked up at me with her beautiful brown eyes. "Ready to meet my friends?"

And just like that, I wasn't so sure of myself.

Rose P.O.V.

After a short, yet awkward car ride to Lissa's, I was glad to get out of the car. There was too much sexual tension between Dimitri and I, but I don't think Lissa realized that. I followed Lissa into the house, Dimitri behind me. Or well, I tried to follow her into the house. Dimitri's arm snaked aroung my waist and he pushed me up against the house, though he did it in a way that wasn't forceful.

He looked at my face, searching for something. I tried to avoid his gaze, knowing he'd figure it out. Knowing he'd find out that I have recently developed a crush on him in the past two days. I didn't want him to find out because I know he doesn't feel the same way and it would only make him feel guilty for almost kissing me.

"Roza." He murmured using his hand to lift my chin up. I looked into his eyes and saw only concern. "What's wrong, Roza?"

I had to tell him. There was no way I couldn't. What kind of friend would that make me if I hid my feelings from him? Besides...it's only a crush.

"I just...I wanted..." I took a deep breath. "Look, things have changed. I just don't feel the same way I did."

Dimitri frowned. "What do you mean? I thought-"

Lissa, once again, interrupted us. "I...uh. " She stumbled when she looked at our position. "You guys should probably come inside."

I sighed and looked at Dimitri. With that one look, I told him we'd finish this later. He nodded and we walked inside.

Once inside we were greeted by Christian, Mase, Eddie, and Mia all sitting in half a circle on the floor. I took my seat by Lissa and Dimitri. Lissa sat next to christian, and Dimitri, next to Eddie. I was glad for that. I didn't want Mason to cause any problems with what was already a complicated situation.

"So," I said, breaking the silence. "What are we starting with?"

"Dark house." Eddie replied. " In case any of you guys don't know, Rose and I made this game up. It's like Hide and Seek, but it's pitch black inside the house. You can't see anything. You can only make someone else "it" if they are a member of the opposite sex. Girls can only go for boys and boys can only go for girls. People of the same sex, have to try to scare the person who is it, which is difficult considering we cannot see." Everyone nodded. "Oh, and in order to "tag" someone, you have to kiss them."

Dimitri and I made looked at each other. _This is going to complicate things._ The thought of someone else kissing him, even if it were only Mia or Liss, made my chest ache.

Lissa smiled. "Christian's it!"

We all turned the lights off in the house and tried to hide before he finished counting. Eventually he stopped and I knew he was either looking for me, Mia, or Lissa. My bet was on the latter. After almost getting kissed by christian, I managed to get away and put as much space between him and myself as physically possible. In the end he caught Mia.

Lissa tried to deny it, but it was obvious that her boyfriend kissing another girl, got to her, so we switched the game to Truth or Dare after turning the lights back on.

"Okay, I'm pretty sure everyone knows what Truth or dare is so...I'll be first." I looked around for my first victim. "Mase, truth or dare?"

"Dare? From you? I'd have to be crazy." He teased. "Truth."

"Is it true that you and Eddie kissed?" Mason and Eddie looked mortified, but everyone else laughed.

"That was a dare!" I laughed. I knew it was, I just wanted to tease them.

"Yeah, but you liked it." I joked. He didn't think it was funny.

"Dimitri, truth or dare?"

He looked at me. I shook my head. He nodded in reply. "Truth."

"Are you currently in a relationship?" I wasn't stupid and neither was Dimitri. Mason wanted to know if we were dating. I knew the answer to that question, but I didn't know if he was in a relationship with anyone else.

"No." He said firmly. He looked at me and I let out a breath that I hadn't known I'd been holding. I didn't know if I'd be able to tell him what I wanted to if he were in a relationship. I hadn't known we were still looking at each other until Lissa cleared her throat. She gave me a knowing smile.

"Uh, Rose, truth or dare?" He asked.

I scoffed. "Dare. I'm not afraid of you."

"I dare you to lick the the toilet seat." He told me, knowing damn well that it was disgusting.

"Eww!" Mia, Liss, and I chorused. The guys gave him a high-five and everyone followed me into the bathroom.

I got down on my knees and crinkled my nose. Once I licked about four inched of the toilet seat, I washed my mouth thoroughly. Yet it didn't stop me from running out of the bathroom and yelling about how disgusting it was.

When I went to sit down in the circle with everyone else, I could tell that they were all trying to keep their distance from me.

"Oh come on!" I complained. "I washed my mouth!" Even Dimitri leaned away from me. "Oh not you too!"

"Sorry, Roza, but that's gross."

"Oh please. You know you want to kiss me." I teased, throwing my arms around his neck.

He cringed,"Not this time, Roza." I didn't let myself get excited over the fact that he said _this time_. Did that mean he wanted to the other times?

I rolled my eyes and sat back down, ignoring everybody's questioning stares. "Whatever. Liss, truth or dare?"

"Dare." Lissa told me but it sounded more like a question.

I smiled. I knew Lissa. I knew she was shy and timid and I was going to use that against her. "I dare you to give everyone a strip-tease."

Lissa's mouth dropped open and she looked around. "I-uh...fine."

She started to take her shirt off when I stopped her. "Wait, let me play some music." I grabbed my phone out of my sweatpants pocket and played the song Strip, only adding to her humiliation. "Proceed."

Lissa awkwardly danced around, waving her clothes in the air. Everyone in the group was laughing their asses off. I laughed so hard I could barely breathe. I was gasping for breath by the time the song ended and she put her clothes back on.

"I don't think I want to play this game anymore." Lissa told everyone.

I yawned, "Yeah, I'm getting tired, I think I just want to go to bed." Though we only played a few short games, it had taken a long time and it was around midnight already.

Lissa had invited Dimitri to stay the night, an offer he gladly accepted due to the fact that he had no way home at this hour. He was to stay in the bedroom next to mine, much to Mason's dismay. Lissa and Christian went to their room first.

"Make sure you guys go to sleep! I don't want to be up all night with unwanted _noises_ coming from your room!" I called after them. Christian turned around and flicked me off. I laughed.

When we were the only ones left in the living room, Dimitri whispered in my ear,"Meet me in my room. I want to talk."

I nodded and went to my room to grab a change of clothes and I jumped in the shower. I took my time washing my hair and body, making sure I stopped to shave, before getting out and changing into a tank top and cute blue PJ shorts.

After I finished getting dressed for bed, I walked to the room I knew Dimitri was in and stood outside the door. I reached my hand out, pausing when it touched the door knob. Building up my courage, I twisted the knob and walked inside.

**I'm sincerely sorry for those of you who wanted a fun game night. It wasn't easy to write and honestly, I didn't like writing it. Not at all. It wasn't as I thought it would be. I'm sorry. And to make it up to you, I decided to throw in some Dimitri/Rose fluff in the next chapter. :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello, readers. I know that you wanted them to kiss, but I couldn't find the right time to make that happen. Maybe it'll be this chapter. Who knows? ;)**

**Richelle Mead owns all the characters.**

Rose P.O.V.

Dimitri was sitting on the love seat in his room watching TV when I walked into his room. He looked up at me expectantly. I sat next to him and we looked at each other in an awkward silence.

"Dimitri, I have something I need to tell you." I looked down at the ground when I talked, not wanting to look into his eyes.

"Rose." I kept my gaze on the floor. It was wood. Cherrywood I think. "Roza look at me. It's okay. You can tell me anything."

I took a deep breath, readying myself for what I was about to say. "I thinks it would be unfair if I kept it from you...Dimitri, I-I don't want to- I don't think of you as a friend anymore."

Dimitri looked legitimately hurt and I realized just how poorly I worded that sentence. "No! That's not what I meant!" My heart was racing and my palms were sweating. I inhaled sharply trying to think about how I was going to say this. "I do think of you as a friend. My best friend. And I love you. I think the problem is that I love you as _more_ than just a friend."

His eyes widened in surprise, like he never expected me to say anything like that. Like he had actually been readying himself for rejection.

"Roza, I-"

I knew what he was going to do, he was going to tell me he only saw me as a friend that he didn't want me in that way. I hadn't realized how afraid I had been of his rejection. Tears stung my eyes and I wiped them away angrily.

I stood up quickly. "Just forget it. Please." I walked toward the door, making my escape.

Dimitri must have recovered from his earlier shock because the next thing I knew he had grabbed my wrist rendering me unable to walk away. It tingled where he touched my skin, but I tried to ignore it. I turned to face him, traitorous tears making their way down my cheeks.

"Roza," He whispered looking into my eyes.

I couldn't move under his gaze. He gazed at me with concern. He put both his hands on either side of my face, forcing me to look at him, not that I wanted to look away.

I studied his face not knowing if this would be the last time we would be able to interact normally. I leaned into his touch, closing my eyes. I tried to remember his smell and the way it felt when he touched me so that when we said goodbye for the last time, I wouldn't forget.

He ran his thumbs across both my cheeks, wiping my tears away.

"Rose, I-"

"No, Dimitri, It's fine. I get it." I interrupted.

"No, Rose, let me-" He tried again.

"Dimitri, _it's okay_." I assured him. It wasn't, but I wasn't about to tell him that. I looked into his deep brown eyes. "I get it. You don't feel that way about m-"

He pulled me closer to his body. His proximity made my words die on my lips. His arm wound around my waist while his other hand stayed on my cheek.

"Roza," He whispered. His lips so, so close to my own. Oh so slowly, he leaned down, connecting his lips with mine. His actions surprised me because I had been so sure that he would reject me. My hands made their way up his chest feeling the muscle beneath his shirt. I wound my arms around the back of his neck, pulling myself closer to him.

Never in a million years had I thought I would kiss Dimitri. Not unless it was dare. I had never seen him that way. I saw him only as a dear friend that I never wanted to lose. When I had returned to Russia, my feelings for him changed though. I had thought it was a mere crush, but in this moment, our lips moving in synchronization, my body pressed against his, I realized it was much more than that. I love him. I've always loved him, but now? Now I was _in love_ with him. My best friend. Dimitri Belikov.

When he pulled away, we were both breathing hard. I saw in his eyes that he had the same revelation that I did.

"I love you, Roza." He told me. He looked at me like the most beautiful woman in the world.

"I love you too." I told him. And I did. When I looked at him, I saw the most beautiful man in the world. Caring, protective, loving, stubborn, playful. And I loved every part of him.

"Stay with me tonight." He whispered.

I nodded, not wanting to leave him in the first place.

Despite what had just occurred, I couldn't believe what was happening. Ecstatic didn't even begin to describe how I felt right now. I pulled his face back to mine and felt him smile against my lips.

And for the first night of my life, I didn't go to sleep alone. No, I fell asleep in the arms of the man I loved.

**Okay, I really liked writing this chapter. I think I could get used to writing things like this. :) Tell me if you guys liked it as much as I did. What's going to happen when everybody wakes up and Rose isn't in her room? Leave reviews for me please. :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Belikovgoddess: I just wanted to say how much I absolutely enjoy reading your reviews. They are actually part of the reason I update so quickly. It inspires me to know that people are actually reading this. Maybe it's because it's my first ever Fanfic...I don't know. But please keep them coming. (: Oh, also, to answer your earlier question, Rose and Dimitri are the same age and Rose just graduated so... Dimitri would have just graduated as well.**

**I do not own these characters. Richelle Mead owns them all. Sad, but true. D:**

**I didn't know if you wanted me to do last chapter in Dimitri's point of view as well, so I added it in there for extra measure. Next chapter will be the next morning. I can't put up that chapter tonight though, so you'll have to wait until after school. After all, I'm only in eighth grade. :P**

Dimitri P.O.V.

While I was in my room waiting for Rose to leave the shower, I turned on the TV in the room and sat on the loveseat. I stared at the TV not actually watching what was going on. Instead, I was thinking about Rose and what she might have said had Lissa not interrupted us on the porch. _She was going to tell me that she didn't want to be my friend anymore, _I thought sadly. _I thought we had been making progress._

The thought of not having Rose in my life scared me. She had always been there. Even in another country on another continent. We had exchanged E-mails and text messages everyday and I had no clue that she hadn't wanted to talk to me anymore.

I steeled myself for her rejection, willing myself not to make a fool of myself.

My pessimistic thoughts were interrupted by Rose walking into the room and sitting next to me on the couch. I looked at her as if to commit her entire being to memory. If I couldn't have the _real_ Rose with me forever, at least I'd have my memories of her.

I looked at her hair, her face, her lips, her eyes. Those eyes looked back at me holding fear.

_What was she afraid of? That I'd be angry with her?_

"Dimitri, I have something I need to tell you." She wouldn't look me in the eye as she talked. She stared at the ground as if she were studying it.

"Rose." Concern welled inside me. It didn't matter that she was going to reject me, I didn't wanter to make her feel uncomfortable, like she couldn't talk to me. "Roza look at me. It's okay. You can tell me anything."

She took a deep breath as if saying these words caused her physical pain. "I think it would be unfair if I kept it from you...Dimitri, I-I don't want to- I don't think of you as a friend anymore."

No amount of preparation could have readied me for what I felt in that moment. Though I spent the lest hour expecting this very thing, it didn't completely prepare me for how I would feel. Like I lost the world. Like it was up and walking away from me and I could do nothing but sit back and watch it leave.

I couldn't hide the hurt from my face.

"No! That's not what I meant!" Rose cried. She looked nervous and I didn't understand what she was trying to say. "I do think of you as a friend. My best friend. And I love you. I think the problem is that I love you as _more_ than just a friend."

My heart stopped in that moment. I didn't expect her to tell me anything of that sort.

"Roza, I-"

She looked crushed and I couldn't figure out why. Didn't she know that what she said had just made me the happiest man in the world?

She stood up quickly, not giving me a second glance. "Just forget it. Please." She walked toward the door like she had six years ago. Suddenly Yeva's words came back to me. _If you let it go again, then you are a bigger idiot than I ever thought you were._ She hadn't been talking about the dishes. She had been talking about Rose.

I stood from where was sitting and walked up to Rose, grabbing her wrist gently. The tingle from where our skin touched was unmistakable. She turned toward me, tears streaming down her face.

In that moment, I vowed I would never make her cry again. Intentionally or not.

"Roza," I whispered looking into her big brown eyes.

She didn't move as I moved both my hands to either side of her face. I willed her not to look away from me. I willed her to listen.

She closed her eyes, leaning into my touch. I wiped her tears away with my thumbs and she looked back up at me.

"Rose, I-" I started.

"No, Dimitri, It's fine. I get it." She interrupted.

"No, Rose, let me-" I tried again.

"Dimitri, it's okay." She assured. It wasn't, I could see that. I looked into her deep brown eyes. "I get it. You don't feel that way about m-"

She didn't get it. She didn't see. I had to make her _see._

I wound one arm around her waist pulling her to my body. I never wanted to let go. I felt as if every moment we've ever shared with each other all led up to this moment right here. This was where I was meant to be. Where she was meant to be. In my arms.

"Roza," I whispered again. My head spun with how close we were. I tilted my head down just the slightest amount. But it was enough. Enough for our lips to touch and send sparks throughout my entire body. She moved her hands up my chest and around my neck pulling herself even closer than we already were.

Until recently, I had never thought I would kiss Rose. I had always wanted to make her laugh and be happy but in a way only a best friend would. I realized now that I loved her. That I've always loved her. I just didn't know it yet.

I pulled back, mine and Rose's breathing both labored.

"I love you, Roza." I told her. I tried to look at her with as much love as I could muster.

"I love you too." She told me. I was soaring at this point. I never wanted to let her go.

"Stay with me tonight." I whispered.

She nodded and pulled me back for another kiss and I smiled against her lips.

I had the best sleep of my life with the girl I loved laying in my arms. I couldn't help but feel everything is just the way they were meant to be.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, guys. I'm so sorry this is coming so late when I told you I'd update after school. I've been exhausted. I fell asleep after school and didn't wake up until just now.**

**I was told that you wanted more Dimitri P.O.V., but I really can't do that unless I put more fluff in there. If I do a Dimitri P.O.V. for normal events, it would be repetitive and I sincerely doubt anyone, including myself, would like it.**

**I'm reluctant to put any more fluff than is already in the story but only due to the fact that if they are all lovey-dovey the entire time, it doesn't keep you in suspense for the next time, does it?**

**Richelle Mead owns all characters in this story.**

Lissa P.O.V.

When I woke up this morning, I was the only one awake. I had planned on waking up early and waking Rose up as well. I had wanted to talk to her about Dimitri, but when I opened the door to her room...well...she wasn't there.

I knew where she was in that moment, but I wasn't going to drag her out of Dimitri's room. Especially if I didn't know whether or not they were... _indecent._ Instead, I woke Christian.

"Christian?" I put my hand on his shoulder, willing him to wake up. "Christian, wake up."

It took a few more minutes of this before his eye lids fluttered open and he looked at me. Concern flooded his features when he saw my conflicted expression.

"What's wrong, Liss?" He asked apprehensively.

"I just wanted to talk. About Rose." He looked confused. " And Dimitri."

"What do you mean? What about them? Are they okay?" He sat up in bed.

"Rose...isn't in her room."

It wasn't getting through to him. "Of course she is. Where else would she be?"

"Christian, for somebody that claims to be so observant, you really are oblivious." I took a deep breath, not knowing if I should tell him or wait for Rose to tell everybody herself. If she ever did. I frowned. No, I wasn't going to keep secrets. I was going to tell Christian, if only so I wasn't alone with this. "Chris, they are in love with each other. Where do you think she is?"

He sat in bed, his brows furrowed, processing what I had just told him. He sighed. "Of course they are. That would explain the...the looks they were giving each other yesterday. And the silent conversations. Do you think they figured that out yet?"

I bit my lip. "She's in his room, Chris. I'd say they have."

"Holy shit! Do you think they...did it?" He asked.

I shrugged not knowing the answer to that question. "No... I-I don't think they did." I knew Rose. She was a virgin, and while, it didn't matter where you had sex for your first time as long as you are with the person you love, I know she wouldn't want five of her best friends around when it happened.

Christian nodded in understanding. "Just go back to sleep, Liss. I doubt it's a big secret. If it was, they are incredibly bad at hiding it. They'll wake up at the same time as the rest of us anyway, and, if Rose isn't ready to tell everyone, they'll just assume she came out of her own room. For now, just stop worrying about it."

He laid back down, pulling me with him. His kissed my forehead and fell back asleep. I had a feeling that it wouldn't be that simple though, but I let go of my worry and let sleep take me under anyway.

Dimitri P.O.V.

When I had first awakened, I was confused. Having someone in my bed, was unexpected to say the least. I had pulled back, not knowing who it was but when I saw Rose's sleeping face, the events of last night came crashing back to me. I smiled. She had told me she loved me.

I watched Rose for a few moments while she slept. Her features were soft and her hair was messy, though she still looked as beautiful as ever. I still couldn't say it was my favorite look on her though. I much prefer when she is laughing.

I put my left arm around her waist protectively. Pulling her closer to my body, I breathed in the smell of her shampoo. She, in turn, snuggled deep into my chest, burying her face in the crook of my neck. I stroked her hair until she woke up fifteen minutes later.

She looked up at me with sleepy eyes. "How long have you been awake?"

"Only a few minutes. I didn't want to wake you."

"Well, I'm up now." She told me, standing up. "Let's go get some coffee." She thought for a moment and smiled. "And donuts."

I chuckled. "So, what, you love donuts more than me now?"

She looked at me and frowned. "I don't love anything more than you."

I pulled her in for a hug, resting my chin on the top of her head. We stayed in the embrace for a few minutes.

"I love you too." I whispered. "Come on, let's go get your donuts." And just like that, the tension in the room was gone and we snapped into our playful roles.

**For the record, I was half-asleep when writing this chapter, so I hope you don't hate it. If you do, tell me. I'll re-write it after school tomorrow. I might put it another chapter today. I don't know for sure. I do know that within the next... two chapters, I want to reveal the relationship to the Belikov's. I wonder how they'll take it. ;)**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm very happy with the reviews this story has been getting. I decided to write this story on a whim and honestly didn't know if anybody would read it in the first place.**

**Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter. And quick question, do you guys want me to bring Tasha in the story later on? If you have any ideas please feel free to share them with me and I'll do my best to add it in somewhere.**

**Richelle Mead owns all characters in this story.**

Rose P.O.V.

When Dimitri pulled me into his embrace, I honestly considered skipping breakfast, which, a few months ago, would have been considered the most ridiculous idea in the universe. It felt right in his arms. I closed my eyes and inhaled, smelling his incredibly sexy aftershave.

"I love you too." He whispered. "Come on, let's go get your donuts."

I smiled and we left the room-only to run into Lissa.

She looked embarrassed to see us.

"Err...Rose, can I talk to you?"

"Actually Dimitri and I were about to-"

"It will only take a second." She said firmly, placing her hand on my arm and guiding me towards her room.

"I'll wait in the living room." Dimitri told me awkwardly.

When we were in the room and Lissa closed the door, she stood there looking at me, not saying a word.

"Uh...Liss? As much as I love the attention, I thought you wanted to talk...?"

"You're in love with him." She said dumbly.

"I-" I was about to deny it. _Why? _ I loved him, I knew that much and I wasn't ashamed of it. "Yeah." I told her with as much truth as I could.

Her face stayed blank, then, ever so slowly, her lips curved into a smile. She ran into my arms, hugging me tightly.

"I'm so happy for you, Rose!" She cried.

"Liss? If you don't mind my asking, how did you figure it out? I didn't even figure it out until...last night." I blushed at the memory of the night before.

"Well, Rose, first off, I can see auras. Not very well, but I don't need to in order to see how bright both of yours were when you looked, or even thought about each other. Second, it was blatantly obvious. You looked at each other every five seconds and you blushed when he caught your gaze. I've never seen you so happy before. I just kinda figured...it had to be love." She looked far away and I knew she was remembering when her and Sparky first fell in love.

"Who else knows?"

"Me, Christian, I'm pretty sure Mia does too, but I haven't talked to her about it. Maybe we should have a girl's night tomorrow. We can talk about this stuff."

"I'd love to, Lissa. But uh... I should get back to Dimitri now." I grinned broadly. "We're getting donuts."

Lissa laughed outright. "I should've known that's how he won you over. Go have fun, Rose."

I started to walk towards the living room before remembering that I was only wearing pajama shorts and a tank top. Definitely not suitable for public. I walked into the bathroom and took a quick shower before dressing in dark skinny jeans and a sexy, red top with a pair of wedges. I did a quick makeup job and brushed my teeth.

I left the bathroom and walked to the living room, again, pausing just before I walked over the threshold. I smiled at what I saw, all the boys (Mason, Eddie, Fire-crotch, and Dimitri) playing video games.

"Damn, Belikov, you're on fire!" Eddie applauded.

"I knew I should've put him on my team." Mason mumbled.

"Hey!" Christian shouted, offended. "I'm pretty amazing at this game and you know it."

"Not as amazing as me." Dimitri taunted.

"Wanna bet?" Christian asked competitively. "I bet you twenty dollars that I can kill you before you-Hey!"

Dimitri, Eddie, and Mason all laughed as Christian's character bursted into flames and died by Dimitri's hand.

Dimitri looked over at me and smiled.

"Sorry, guys. I have to go." He informed them before joining me.

Christian sighed in relief.

"You're pretty cool, Belikov. You should hang with us sometime." Eddie told him.

Mason nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that way we can see you kick Christian's ass more often."

I walked out of the house, Dimitri behind me, as the boys started to bicker.

"Why are you so happy?" Dimitri asked. I realized that I was still smiling.

We climbed into the car that Lissa gave me the keys to before I left her room.

"I don't know. It just...makes me happy seeing you getting along with my friends so well."

He kissed the back of my hand before lacing them together.

"It makes me happy too, Roza."

After long awaited chocolate glazed donuts, Dimitri and I decided to go back to his house.

When we walked through the front door, the Belikov family was gathered in the living room watching a movie. The Lion King.

"I love this move." I whispered.

Dimitri chuckled and everyone turned to us and glared.

I grabbed his hand and dragged him in front of the TV. There were no more seats on the furniture, so we sat on the floor leaning against the couch for support. Paul was also on the ground, though he was about four feet away.

Dimitri wrapped his arm around my waist and I leaned into his chest.

A few minutes into the movie, I noticed Dimitri staring at me.

"What?" I whispered.

"Nothing." He told me. "I was just admiring the view."

I smiled and slapped his chest.

"Watch the movie. This is the good part."

He touched his forehead to mine. "Or what?" He asked suggestively.

"I'll think of something." I told him, as a mischievous grin made its way to my face.

It was just us then. Just Rose and Dimitri. I wanted to be in his arms and kiss him and a hell of a lot more than that. I closed my eyes revelling in the feeling of his touch.

"What. The. Hell." Victoria sounded.

_Oh shit,_ I thought. I had forgotten about the Belikov's. I pulled away from Dimitri and we looked at each other not quite sure how to explain. I mentally prepared myself for the extensive questioning that we were bound to endure. I could see Dimitri doing the same. Little did we know, nothing could have prepared us for what came next.


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm sorry readers. This story will be completed very soon. I've run out of ideas for it. Within the next few days, I will be putting up another story, so be sure to check that one out as well. It won't quite be like this one, as it was mainly fluff. The other story will have lots of..action.. in it. ;) It will always be Rose and Dimitri though, rest assured. Sorry. Thanks again.**

**Richelle Mead owns all characters in this story.**

Rose P.O.V.

It has been four weeks since I've been in Russia. Four weeks since I've been in love with my best friend. Three weeks since we told his family.

To say they had been enthusiastic was an understatement. It had been a flurry of screaming and crying women. We were bombarded with hugs and congratulations. We also earned an "eww" from Viktoria but even that was followed by an "I'm happy for you guys."

While I was happy and incredibly in love, I no longer saw everything good in the world when I looked at Dimitri. I also didn't only feel love when I looked at him. Now, I was scared. I was afraid and I was sad. I didn't know if I could handle leaving him yet again. In fact, I knew I couldn't. When I looked at him, I saw my life without him and how horrible it would be. Even when I was surrounded by such great friends. I also felt guilt. Finding out that my first disappearance had left him in such turmoil, had nearly killed me, but leaving him a second time? After I had given him someone to love? Friends that he had come to love and had come to love him in return? People that had accepted our relationship with no question? I felt like the worst person in the universe.

He didn't know I felt this way. It would put all the guilt I feel on himself. I didn't want that. I had been putting myself at a distance lately. Mentally at least. Physically, I pretended like nothing was wrong. I don't think he's noticed much though.

I looked at him across the table at Lissa's. We all had been eating dinner. Well...they have. I just used my fork to push food around on my plate while I was thinking.

When I spoke, I interrupted the conversation everyone had been engaged in. "I'm just...gonna to go to bed." Eddie, Mia, and Christian looked aver at my retreating figure as though they had forgotten my presence entirely due to my lack of talking, which was highly unusual for me.

I walked into the room Dimitri and I had both been sharing as of late. I laid on the bed, suddenly exhausted. We had been staying up late lately. Right now it was almost eleven at night.

Dimitri walked into the room a good ten minutes after I had. He laid down next me, wrapping his arms around me. Despite what I was feeling, this never failed to make me forget everything. I focused on his arms around me. His love that always came with. I snuggled closer, but kept my eyes closed as though I was sleeping.

"I don't know why you've been so distant lately, Roza. You can tell me. I'll always be there for you." He murmured to me. I didn't answer. Instead, I shook my head almost imperceptibly.

He got the message. "It'll be okay." He told me.

A tear slid down my face, knowing he was wrong. It wouldn't be okay. I would leave. I would go to America and be a Guardian, because that's what I had left to do in the first place. I would guard Lissa, my best girl-friend, and, eventually, I would be happy. But I would never be as happy as when I'm with Dimitri.

I fell asleep in his arms.

**Aww. Poor Rose. She's finally come to terms with her leaving Dimitri behind. But why is Dimitri so calm about it? Is he only pretending for Rose's sake? **


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay, guys, my new story All To Save You is officially published as of now. I'm really excited about this one. It is rated MA due to violence. Not sexual content. So you should be 18+ to read it, but who's stopping you? ;)**

**Richelle Mead owns all characters in this story. (And my other one (; )**

Rose P.O.V.

When I awoke in Dimitri's arms, I seriously considered not going back to America. But then a little thing called _Reality_ pulled me back from such thoughts. I had friends to protect. A life to live in America. I couldn't leave that all behind. But for now, those friends were out. And we were alone. In Russia, not America. So I decided to enjoy it while it lasts.

I lay my head on his chest and scooted closer to him. My heart would break in half when I left. I knew his would too.

"Let's go out to dinner tonight, Roza. Just you and me." Dimitri spoke softly, stroking my hair.

I breathed in his scent. "Again?" I asked. We had gone out on a date almost every other day we've been dating.

"Do you not want to go?" He asked, a little hurt.

I laughed. "No, of course I do. I love going out with you." I sat up and kissed him. "I love _you." _I rolled and put my other right leg on the other side of him so that I was straddling him. I put my hands on his chest and kissed him passionately.

"I hate when you start this, Roza." He told me, out of breath.

He was referring to my kissing him in bed. In the house. Alone. He had expressed on more than one occasion that it was hard for him to stop. But every time, _he_ had been the one to pull back, claiming it "wasn't the right time." To be fair, it wasn't easy for me either. I wanted it just as badly as I knew he did. If not _more._ I just didn't know what was making him want to stop. When _was_ the right time? When I was on another continent?

"Then finish it." I told him seductively.

He sighed. "Not now, Roza, it isn't-"

"The right time." I finished for him, rolling off his body.

"Rose, it's not that I don't want to." He told me.

I looked at him and my anger dissipated. "I know, but I just-I wanted to have this-you-before I leave again."

He smiled. "Trust me, you don't have to worry about that."

I spent the day shopping with Lissa and Mia. It turns out Lissa and Christian were going out on a date tonight too. We spent almost five hours at the mall looking for dresses.

Mia, not needing to find a dress for a date, simply bought casual clothes and gave us advice on mine and Lissa's dresses.

In the end, Lissa found a long, flowing Emerald dress that hugged her curves and made her look delicate yet sexy at the same time.

I chose a black dress that clung to my body in every way imaginable. It was a few inches higher than the knee, but still managed not to look trashy or like clubwear. It was _sexy_. Liss had expressed that Dimitri was going to have a hard time keeping his hands off me. I responded with a wink and a "That's the point."

When we got back to the house, Liss, Mia, and I were the only one's there. We decided to make use of the few hours we had left to get ready for mine and Lissa's dates. Lissa decided I was to go first.

Mia did my hair, teasing it for volume and curling it. She brushed my curls afterward so as to make it look like they were natural. After a lot of arguing, I got her to let me leave my hair down, claiming I knew it was how Dimitri liked it.

Next, Lissa did my makeup, giving me a smokey-eye look. She only put a little lip gloss on though, to keep some normality to my look.

When I look into the mirror, I was in awe.

"Guys...this is...amazing." I could barely recognize the face in the mirror. She had slightly shorter hair due to the curling and her eyes were smoldering and sexy. The dress I had slipped on after the makeup job Lissa gave me, along with the black heels, completed the look.

They nodded their heads in agreement, high-fiving each other afterward.

"Lissa's turn!" I shouted.

She shook her head. "It's only you this time, Rose. We're just going to a movie. It would be a waste of your complete and utter awesomeness to just have me sit in the dark the whole time." She said gesturing to Mia and myself.

"The why did you get a really fancy dress?" I asked confused.

"Oh, that's not for the date. I just like dresses." She said with a smile.

Mia and I looked at her, jaws agape. "You made us walk around the mall for five hours for nothing?!"

Lissa shrank back. "It wasn't for nothing. You needed a dress, Rose. And, Mia, you wanted clothes too."

I sighed, frustrated. Then, I thought of Dimitri and butterflies danced in my stomach. I smiled, unable to wait for our date.

**Where is Dimitri going to take Rose for their date? What did Dimitri mean by "You don't have to worry about that.?" Until next time, beloved readers. :D**


	15. Chapter 15

**I just want to shout-out to GlieseHoneyman. Your review honestly made me laugh. I'm glad you enjoy the story so much.**

**As for everyone else, I also loved your reviews. It's a good thing to wake up to. (:**

**Richelle Mead owns all characters in this story.**

Rose P.O.V.

When I walked out of Lissa's room, Lissa and Mia behind me, I heard a knock at the door.

"Coming!" I yelled. I stifled a nervous giggle knowing it had to be Dimitri. Was it only this morning that I had last seen him? It felt like forever.

I walked over to the front door after fixing my hair a little, throwing it open. Nobody was there.

I frowned and looked over to the girls. Their gazes weren't on me, they were on the floor in front of my feet. They both jumped up and down squealing.

"What the hell are you guys-" I looked down, smiling. "Oh my God."

There was one red rose on the ground with a card that read "Roza." A trail of rose petals was left outside the door, leading somewhere in the woods. I picked up the rose and card, without reading it, and followed the trail.

The rose petals were left in a winding trail through the trees as opposed to a straight line, giving it a sort of mystical feel.

When the trail came to an end, the only thing around was a cute little cabin in the middle of the woods. It was lit up from the inside with what looked like firelight. I took a deep breath readying myself to see the man I loved. I walked forward and opened the door.

What I saw when I walked through the door was...the most romantic thing I have ever seen in my life. There were rose petals spread out over the floor and candles set strategically throughout the room. A fire in the fireplace provided most of the light. Dimitri stood in the middle of the room, holding another rose.

I giggled and walked into his open arms.

"This...is amazing." I breathed gesturing to the cabin.

There was nothing special about the cabin in itself. There was a door leading to a bathroom on my left and in this room, there was only a bed and a table with a couple of chairs. One would have thought that this wouldn't be romantic, but what Dimitri did to it...it was beautiful. Something I thought girls only dreamt of.

I separated myself from him and looked at what he was wearing. A tuxedo. But he wore only the jacket and pants with a white shirt. He wore no tie. The first two buttons on his shirt were left unfastened. He looked...irrisistable.

"Roza, you look beautiful. As always." He told me with a smile.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Comrade." I told him with a flirtatious smile.

He grabbed my chin and tilted my face upward. "I'm serious, Rose. You are the most beautiful woman on this planet."

I looked into his eyes and I knew he meant what he said. He leaned in slowly and kissed me gently. I didn't try to deepen the kiss, instead I revelled in the sweetness of it.

He pulled back and looked at me, our foreheads touching. "How can this get any better?" I asked.

"Well, that depends. Have you read your card?" He spoke with a smile that made me want to kiss him senseless.

I frowned, opening the card that had been laid at the beginning of the rose trail.

_Will you marry me, Roza?_

I gasped and looked to him. He slid down on one knee slowly, holding my hand in his.

"Roza, you are the most beautiful, fun-loving, amazing woman in the world. And I can't imagine spending a day without you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?" He looked at me, nervous.

I couldn't think-or breathe. I looked at him, truly believing he loved me. And knowing I loved him. But was I ready for it? I didn't know, but with Dimitri by my side, I could do anything.

"I-yes." I told him.

"Really?" He looked surprised and hopeful. Like he was readying himself for disappointment.

"Yes." I told him, confidence growing. I smiled broadly. "Yes!" I jumped into his arms.

He laughed picking me up, spinning me in a circle like in one of those romantic movies.

He set me on my feet and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a black, velvet box and opened it. It was beautiful. It had a large diamond with two smaller diamonds on each side. It was set it a gold band. He slipped it on my finger and I couldn't help myself any longer.

I kissed him fiercely, pushing him toward the bed. He switched our positions so he was the one propelling me backward. I lay on the bed, Dimitri on top of me. He grabbed my thigh, sending shock waves throughout my body, and pulled it so it wrapped around him. He pulled back for a breath.

"Is it-"

"The right time?" He finished for me. I nodded sheepishly. "Definitely the right time."

I smiled against his lips, nervous and excited.

**Okay, guys. There will only be one more chapter after this. It will be the Epilogue and then that's it. Sorry for any disappointment, but I don't want to ruin the story by prolonging it too much. I want it to end on a good note, leaving you wanting a little more.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey, guys. I know an author's note isn't what you wanted to see, but I'll be uploading the Epilogue tomorrow sometime. I just wanted to know if anybody had another idea for a different story. I really want to write some more and, while I'm not abandoning my other story All To Save You, I would like to write something else. Only things with Rose and Dimitri though. I'm kind of in love with him. :)**

**Thanks guys. I'll get back to you.**

**-BelikovLover (Alissa)**


	17. Chapter 17

**I am so sorry, guys. I know I promised to have the Epilogue up yesterday, but my neighbors just got a new dog and it has been barking ALL NIGHT LONG. I've had to sleep on the couch for the last couple of weeks, which, as you may have guessed, is no easy task. I've been completely exhausted and literally fell asleep right after school, not even bothering to eat anything.**

**Richelle Mead owns all characters in this story.**

Rose P.O.V.

Walking down the aisle, I was a nervous reck. I wasn't nervous about marrying Dimitri; to be honest, I couldn't wait to spend the rest of our lives together. I was nervous to have so many eyes on me. Lissa, Christian, Olena, Yeva, Vika, Sonya, Paul, Karolina, Abe, Ivan, Mason, Artur, Lev, Eddie, Mia, Tasha, Oksana, Mark, Nickolai, even my mom. I was nervous because I didn't want to make a fool of myself. What if I tripped? What if I said my vows wrong? What if Dimitri doesn't say "I do?"

I immediately cast that last thought out of my head. I knew he loved me. Almost as much as I loved him. He had proved that when he confessed his love for me, when he proposed, when he became Christian's Guardian to stay with me.

I looked straight ahead, meeting Dimitri's gaze. His eyes were so full of love and the smile on his face was beautiful. I would do anything to keep him smiling like that. I grinned, having a hard time walking in tune with the music when all wanted to do was run into his arms.

When I had reached Dimitri and he gently held my hand, all of my fears washed away. I didn't know how long we stood looking into each other's eyes. I was faintly aware of the Official clearing his throat. I looked over to him questioningly and he gave me an encouraging look. I blushed realising he was trying to tell me to say my vows.

I took a deep breath and looked at Dimitri. The love of my life. My soul. The Keeper of my heart. "Dimitri," I paused. "We have been best friends for as long as I can remember. There was a time when I thought that's all we were. But I was in denial. I was lying to myself. I've always loved you and I always _will _love you. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, the man I love, my best friend."

I was fighting the tears that threatened to spill over, when Dimitri spoke. "Roza, when we were children, I promised to protect you. I promised to always be there for you and never leave your side. I'd broken that promise when I let you leave without a fight. This is me making a new promise. I vow to keep you safe. To protect you, mind, body, and soul. I vow to keep your heart with me at all times and give you my own in return. But mostly, I promise -I swear- to love you. Forever and always."

The tears I had been trying to keep at bay, spilled over, leaving warm tracks across my cheeks. "I do." I choked.

"I do." Dimitri told me.

"You may now kiss the bride." The Official announced, but I wasn't listening. No, I was too distracted by Dimitri. He cupped my cheeks, using his thumbs to wipe away my tears. I smiled as he tilted my face upward. He leant down and pressed a kiss to my lips. It was short but filled with so much emotion. Love. Joy. Elation.

Our audience cheered, congratulating each of us. The reception followed soon after that, consisting mainly of dancing and being held by Dimitri.

I grinned. Long after everyone departed, Dimitri and I stayed at the venue. An old tree, a large oak in a clearing. The place we'd first met, him protecting me from a bully. I climbed the large tree despite the difficulty the dress presented. Dimitri followed. I don't know how long we sat up in the tree looking at the stars. We didn't speak. We didn't have to. We'd have forever to do that. For now, we just wanted to revel in each others' presence. I leaned into his chest and he intertwined our fingers, giving me a chaste kiss on the lips followed by another on my forehead.

_"It's okay, I won't hurt you." The young boy told me, helping me onto my feet._

_"Will you protect me?" _

_He put his hand over his heart. "Promise."_

_"So, you won't leave me?"_

_"Never."_


End file.
